The Broncos will be forced to play their fourth-string halfback next weekend but club great Corey Parker believes there’s another option.
Brisbane have a halves crisis on their hands after Jock Madden went down with a serious hamstring injury against the Panthers on Friday night.
Madden joins Adam Reynolds and untested rookie Cody Black in the injury ward and coach Kevin Walters said that means Josh Rogers will be handed the reins.
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Rogers has played just two NRL games but was impressive while filling in for Reynolds in Round 10 in a 30-14 victory over the Eels.
“(Madden) will be (out) for a good month or longer,” Walters said.
“(Rogers) has got the bye this week (in Queensland Cup) so he’ll be right to go next Saturday against the Dragons.
“He was outstanding (in his last game for the Broncos) so it’s good for him, not so good for Jock but pretty good for him to get another crack at this level.”
But Broncos great Parker believes Walters should shift his son Billy from hooker to halfback and play Tyson Smoothy at No. 9.
Billy Walters has played eight NRL games in the halves – and dozens in reserve grade – and he went into the No. 7 role when Madden went down.
“It will be interesting for Kevvie Walters and the coaching staff to come up with a side next week with no Adam Reynolds, no Jock Madden,” Parker said.
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“Coby Black, the 18-year-old they have touted to go and do good things in the No. 7 has thumb ligament damage.
“I would assume moving forward that maybe they’ll put Billy Walters into the No. 7 jersey, maybe Josh Rogers comes back into that fold.
“But Billy Walters was playing No. 7 at the end there, and then Smoothy to start at No. 9 (next week).
“That would be the least disruptive move for the Broncos.”
The Broncos have now lost five in a row for the first time since 2020, when they won the wooden spoon, and they could sit 12th by the end of the round.
They’re going to need to win six of their final eight games just to play finals this year.
Brisbane face the Dragons, Knights, Bulldogs, Titans, Cowboys, Eels, Dolphins and Storm to finish the season.
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